


Merle Opens Up

by Pumpkinnight120



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alexandria Safe-Zone, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Crying, Deanna used to be a psychologist before zombie ap, Emotional Merle, Gen, Good Brother Merle, Hurt/Comfort, Mentions of Merle's parents, Mentions of alchol abuse, Merle has both hands, Merle needs a hug, Merle needs to vent, Merle opens up, Military vet Merle, Rickyl Writers' Group, Smoking, Some of Merle's backstory, mentions of divorce, mild swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-12
Updated: 2018-04-12
Packaged: 2019-04-22 01:19:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14297631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pumpkinnight120/pseuds/Pumpkinnight120
Summary: Merle's interview for Alexandria.





	Merle Opens Up

"Merle why are you here?"  
  
"Same reason why all these other people are, I need a roof, ma' brother  
needs one, ma' niece an' nephew need one".  
  
Merle sat in what he referred to as the stuffiest living room he'd ever been  
in while talking to a lady he was pretty sure was a cop before all this walker  
shit started happening.  
  
Deanna looked at Merle in a way that was both scrutinizing and impatient.  
  
She took a deep breath.  
  
"What could you offer this community? what skills can you offer to the  
table so to speak?".  
  
Merle sighed, running his finger through his greying hair.  
  
"I got a military background, was in the army for six years, earned  
ma' GED doin' basic, I may have been a high school drop out but I  
ain't dumb".  
  
"Oh really? What sort of work did you do?" asked Deanna her  
interests piqued.  
  
"I was a wheeled vehicle mechanic, in charge of maintaining, fixing  
an' general maintenance of Jeeps, Humvees ya know, all that shit".  
  
Deanna nodded prompting him to continue.  
  
" 'Nother part of ma' job was recovery operations ta bring back  
broken down vehicles, often times it was a piece of cake, no  
problem but one recovery mission didn't go to well, stepped  
on a land mine an' lost ma' left leg" and he lifted his pant leg  
to reveal his prosthetic.  
  
"I'm so sorry you had to endure that" she said patting Merle's  
shoulder sympathetically.   
  
Merle shrugged, smiling slightly "it's okay, thank ya fer yer words".  
  
"So what made you join? was the military something you wanted  
to do?".  
  
Merle sighed and sat back in his seat "yes an' no, I joined partly  
ta better myself an' partly ta get away".  
  
"Ya see, ma' daddy was once a good man, he was a truck driver it  
was a lonely life but it paid well. He was takin' a load of lumber  
from Michigan ta Texas when he stopped off in Georgia at a little  
diner, met ma' momma who worked their as a waitress".  
  
"Everythin' was jus' fine till ma' old man's parents died so instead  
of grievin' like a normal person he picked up the bottle".  
  
Wiping away a few tears Merle continued "when it'd gotten to  
the point where momma had found out he'd hit ma' lil'  
brother she packed everythin' we had an' left em' ".  
  
Merle wiped away more tears "never saw the asshole after  
that, a few years later I'd found out he'd been found dead  
in a motel room, choked on his own vomit".  
  
He tried not to cry but it was turning into a loosing  
battle.  
  
Deanna must have sensed this because she grabbed for  
the tissue box on the coffee table.  
  
Handing him a tissue she asked "what about your mother?".  
  
Merle sniffed and dried his eyes "ma' momma, she was the one  
who worked her ass off ta keep me an' Daryl in school an' out of  
trouble".  
  
"After we left ma' old man she divorced his ass an' got custody  
of Daryl an' I, old man didn't want anythin' ta do with us".  
  
"We moved ta Virginia where momma got a job at the local  
diner savin' up every penny she had ta keep a roof over our heads".  
  
Deanna tilted her head "where is she now?".  
  
Merle took a deep shuddering breath afraid of the tears  
returning.  
  
"When the outbreak started we moved from place ta place,  
never staying in one spot, she'd been gatherin' water in a  
nearby creek an'...".  
  
It was at this the tears returned to Merle's eyes.  
  
"She got bit" Merle sobbed "got her in the neck, we killed the   
walker that did it, stabbed her in the head when she died, buried  
her that same day, Daryl an' I don' talk about it much, it's too   
painful".  
  
Merle grabbed another tissue, drying his eyes and blowing his  
nose he hung his head embarrassed.  
  
"Sorry 'bout all this, I didn't mean ta vent the way I did, it's  
jus' I've kept this bottled up fer so long an'- ".  
  
Deanna held up a hand.  
  
"It's alright Merle I understand, I think with everything you've  
told me you would make for a great addition to Alexandria".  
  
"Really?" said Merle looking genuinely surprised.  
  
Deanna nodded "absolutely with you're military background  
and knowledge of mechanics we could sure use you as our  
resident handy man or a guard on the walls so if you'd like to  
rejoin the other's in your group and go get cleaned up we'll   
start fresh tomorrow morning".   
  
Deanna smiled "welcome to Alexandria Merle, I hope you  
feel right at home here and thank you for your service".  
  
And for the first time in a long while Merle smiled "thank ya  
very much an' yer welcome, I was grateful fer the chance ta do  
so".  
  
Getting up the two shook hands and parted ways.  
  
  
  
Merle sat on the stoop of his new home in Alexandria having a  
smoke watching the setting sun turn the sky in front of him  
beautiful shades of red-orange, pink and purple.  
  
Finishing his cigarette he stood up and headed inside to shower  
and get some sleep knowing he'd have a full day ahead of him  
tomorrow.  
  


 

 


End file.
